Thomasville police want help enforcing teen curfew

THOMASVILLE, Ga. (WALB) - Since summer started, crime has spiked, and Thomasville Police say the majority of the petty crimes and dangerous behavior comes from teens.

During the summer nights, gas stations and malls tend to be a popular hang-out spot for teens, according to Thomasville Police.

Officers told WALB these activities can easily turn dangerous if a fight breaks out, or if they somehow injure themselves.

They also said it quickly turns into a disturbance for those store owners.

A common issue officers have seen are teens darting out in front of traffic, and Thomasville Police Major Wade Glover said this behavior often stems from boredom.

He said everyone needs to get involved to keep the community safe.

“We need all of our community to come together. We need to stop our children from roaming and doing whatever they want to do. And it’s a domino affect. They’re less likely to get involved with the wrong crowd, they’re less likely to get involved in any criminal activity and they’re less likely, obviously, to be safe and not get injured,” said Glover.

Curfew for people under the age of 18 is midnight and 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and from midnight to 5 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, but there are exceptions to this ordinance.

When children is picked up for curfew violation, police take them home, and parents are warned.

On the second offense, the child is charged, and the parent is charged with parental responsibility.

Glover says they don’t want to have to enforce this curfew.

They hope parents and kids will comply making the community safer for everyone.